CN108216025B

CN108216025B - Method and apparatus for providing occupant reminders

Info

Publication number: CN108216025B
Application number: CN201711343677.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: W·A·比翁多; D·T·普罗埃夫克; F·W·亨特齐克; L·A·法伦
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2016-12-21
Filing date: 2017-12-14
Publication date: 2021-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-14
Also published as: US10147294B2; DE102017130602B4; US20180174419A1; DE102017130602A1; CN108216025A

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an occupant status alert is provided. The method comprises the following steps: determining whether the vehicle is in a first power mode or a second power mode in response to detecting that a rear passenger door of the vehicle has been opened; setting a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode in response to determining that the vehicle is in the first power mode; in response to detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode and the timer not expiring, turning on a setting to output an occupant reminder; in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second power mode, turning on a setting to output an occupant reminder; and in response to detecting a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode, outputting an occupant reminder if a setting to output the occupant reminder is on. The method may provide a reminder regarding a rear seat occupant.

Description

Method and apparatus for providing occupant reminders

Introduction to the design reside in

Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to providing alerts about occupants. More particularly, apparatus and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to providing alerts regarding vehicle occupants.

Disclosure of Invention

One or more exemplary embodiments provide a method and apparatus for detecting an occupant in a vehicle. More specifically, one or more exemplary embodiments provide a method and apparatus to detect an occupant in a vehicle and send an alert to a user regarding the occupant in the vehicle.

In accordance with one aspect of an exemplary embodiment, a method for providing an occupant status alert is provided. The method comprises the following steps: determining whether the vehicle is in a first power mode or a second power mode in response to detecting that a passenger door of the vehicle has been opened; setting a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode in response to determining that the vehicle is in the first power mode; in response to detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode and the timer not expiring, turning on a setting for outputting an occupant reminder; opening a setting for outputting an occupant reminder in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second power mode and that a passenger door of the vehicle is open; and in response to detecting a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode, outputting an occupant reminder if a setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on.

The outputting the occupant reminder, if the setting of outputting the occupant reminder is turned on, may include: the setting outputting the occupant alert is turned off.

The outputting the occupant notification may include, if the setting of outputting the occupant notification is turned on: outputting the alert for a predetermined length of time.

The method may be performed after a setting for performing the method is checked and it is confirmed that the setting is active.

The first power mode may be at least one of a vehicle off state and a vehicle low power state, and the second power mode may be at least one of a vehicle on state or a propulsion system active state of the vehicle.

Detection of detecting a passenger door of the vehicle may be performed based on a signal received from the at least one rear door sensor indicating that the rear passenger door has been opened.

Outputting the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on may include: the alert is output to the mobile device.

The outputting the occupant notification may include, if the setting of outputting the occupant notification is turned on: the alert is output to a display within the vehicle.

The method may further comprise: if a condition for re-outputting the reminder is detected, a condition for re-outputting the reminder is detected and the occupant reminder is re-output. The condition for re-outputting the reminder may include at least one from the following: the method includes outputting a reminder for an occupant, interrupting or preempting the output reminder by a telephone call or an alarm, the telephone call being activated when the reminder is output, the vehicle being at a location that is not appropriate for the location at which the reminder is output, detecting that a driver door is open within a predetermined time after the occupant reminder has been output, and receiving a command from a vehicle operator to re-trigger in a subsequent transition from the second power mode to the first power mode.

In accordance with another aspect of an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for providing an occupant status alert is provided. The apparatus includes at least one memory including computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor configured to read and execute computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to: determining whether the vehicle is in a first power mode or a second power mode in response to detecting that a passenger door of the vehicle has been opened; setting a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode in response to determining that the vehicle is in the first power mode; in response to detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode and the timer not expiring, turning on a setting that outputs an occupant reminder; opening a setting to output an occupant reminder in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second power mode and that a passenger door of the vehicle is open; and in response to detecting a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode, outputting an occupant reminder if a setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on.

The computer-executable instructions may cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting outputting the occupant reminder is turned on by turning off the setting outputting the occupant reminder.

The computer-executable instructions may cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder for a predetermined period of time.

The computer-executable instructions may further cause the at least one processor to determine whether a setting to provide an occupant status alert is active.

The apparatus may further include at least one door sensor, and the computer-executable instructions may further cause the at least one processor to detect that the rear passenger door of the vehicle has been opened based on a signal received from the at least one door sensor indicating that the passenger door has been opened.

The computer-executable instructions may further cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting of the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder to the mobile device.

The computer-executable instructions may also cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting of the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder to a display in the vehicle.

The computer-executable instructions may also cause the at least one processor to detect a condition for re-outputting the reminder; and re-outputting the occupant reminder if a condition for re-outputting the reminder is detected. The condition for re-outputting the reminder may include at least one from the following: the method includes outputting a reminder for an occupant, interrupting or preempting the output reminder by a telephone call or an alarm, the telephone call being activated when the reminder is output, the vehicle being at a location that is not appropriate for the location at which the reminder is output, detecting that a driver door is open within a predetermined time after the occupant reminder has been output, and receiving a command from a vehicle operator to re-trigger in a subsequent transition from the second power mode to the first power mode.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory medium is provided that includes computer-executable instructions that are executable to perform a method for providing occupant status alerts. The method comprises the following steps: in response to determining that the first power mode is active, determining whether the first power mode or the second power mode is active, performing: if all back doors are closed, starting a timer; determining whether the timer has expired; and in response to detecting a transition to the second power mode and the timer not expiring the time limit, turning on a setting to output an occupant reminder, and in response to determining that the second power mode is active, performing: opening a setting that outputs the occupant reminder in response to detecting that the rear door has opened; and outputting an occupant notification if the setting of outputting the occupant notification is turned on and a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode is detected.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the exemplary embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus for providing occupant status alerts in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for providing occupant status alerts, according to an example embodiment:

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for providing an occupant status alert, according to an example embodiment;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate graphical representations of occupant status notifications in accordance with aspects of an exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a system capable of providing occupant status alerts in accordance with an aspect of an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

An apparatus and method for providing an occupant status alert will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 1-5 of the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The following disclosure will enable one skilled in the art to practice the inventive concepts. However, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary and do not limit the inventive concept to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Furthermore, it is generally contemplated that the descriptions of features or aspects of each exemplary embodiment can be applied to aspects of other exemplary embodiments.

It will also be understood that where a first element is stated herein as being "connected to," "attached to," "formed on" or "disposed on," the first element can be directly connected to, formed directly on or disposed directly on the second element, or intervening elements may be present between the first and second elements, unless it is stated that the first element is "directly" connected to, attached to, formed on or disposed on the second element. In addition, if a first element is configured to "send" or "receive" information to or from a second element, the first element can send or receive information directly to or from the second element, over a bus, over a network, or through intermediate elements, unless it is indicated that the first element sends or receives information "directly" to or from the second element.

Throughout this disclosure, one or more of the disclosed elements may be combined into a single device or into one or more devices. In addition, the individual elements may be provided on separate devices.

Vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Recreational Vehicles (RVs), boats, airplanes, and the like typically include a space for carrying passengers and other items that may be accessed from a door or opening other than the driver's door. Often, the vehicle operator may forget the occupants or items in the rear compartment of the vehicle. Thus, providing the reminder may alert the driver of the vehicle of the items or occupants in the rear compartment of the vehicle.

When the sensor detects that an occupant or item is left in the vehicle, a reminder may be provided. Further, a function or action pattern taken by the vehicle driver may be detected and a reminder provided based on the detected function or action pattern. The alert may be provided in the form of a displayed, audible, or tactile notification provided by the vehicle system or mobile device. The driver of the vehicle may acknowledge or dismiss the notification and remove the occupant or item in or behind the vehicle.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 according to an example embodiment. As shown in fig. 1, an apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a controller 101, a power source 102, a memory 103, an output 104, a user input 106, a door status sensor 107, and a communication device 108. However, the device providing the occupant status alert 100 is not limited to the above-described configuration, but may be configured to include additional elements and/or omit one or more of the aforementioned elements. The means for providing the occupant status alert 100 may be implemented as part of the vehicle or as a separate component.

The controller 101 controls the overall operation and function of the device providing the occupant status alert 100. The controller 101 may control one or more of the memory 103, output 104, user input 106, door state sensor 107, and communication device 108 of the apparatus for providing the occupant state alert 100. The controller 101 may include one or more of a processor, microprocessor, Central Processing Unit (CPU), graphics processor, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), state machine, circuitry, and combinations of hardware, software, and firmware components, and the like.

The controller 101 is configured to send and/or receive information from one or more of the memory 103, the output 104, the user input 106, the door state sensor 107, and the communication device 108 of the apparatus for providing the occupant state alert 100. This information may be sent and received via a bus or network, or may be read from or written to directly one or more of the memory 103, output 104, user input 106, door state sensor 107, and communication device 108 used to provide the occupant state alert 100. Examples of suitable network connections include a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Media Oriented System Transfer (MOST), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Local Area Network (LAN), and other suitable connections, such as ethernet.

The power source 102 provides power to one or more of the controller 101, memory 103, output 104, user input 106, door state sensor 107, and communication device 108 for providing the occupant status alert 100. The power source 102 may include one or more of a battery, an electrical outlet, a capacitor, a solar cell, a generator, a wind power plant, an alternator, and the like.

The memory 103 is configured to store information and retrieve information for use by the apparatus for providing the occupant status alert 100. The memory 103 may be controlled by the controller 101 to store and retrieve information regarding the status of one or more vehicle doors, windows, openings, etc. For example, the memory 103 may include status information from one of a vehicle opening, hood, moonroof, front passenger side door, rear passenger side door, passenger door, front driver side door, rear hatch, or trunk. The status information may indicate whether one or more doors or openings are closed or half-open.

The memory 103 may store information regarding whether the vehicle is in a first power mode (e.g., de-energized) or a second power mode (e.g., energized). In addition, the memory 103 may also store information on a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode. Further, the memory 103 may store information indicating whether to turn on a setting of outputting an occupant reminder and information indicating whether to perform a method of detecting an occupant and provide a reminder. The memory 103 may also include computer instructions configured to be executed by the processor to perform the functions of the apparatus for providing the occupant status alert 100.

Memory 103 may include floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs (compact disk read-only memories), magneto-optical disks, ROMs (read-only memories), RAMs (random access memories), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memories), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, cache memory, and other types of media/machine-readable media suitable for storing machine-executable instructions.

The output 104 is configured to output information in one or more forms, including: visual, auditory and/or tactile. The output 104 may be controlled by the controller 101 to provide an output to a user of the apparatus to provide the occupant status alert 100. The output 104 may include a speaker, a display, a transparent display, a centrally located display, a heads-up display, a windshield display, a haptic feedback device, a vibration device, a haptic feedback device, a tactile acquisition feedback device, a holographic display, an instrument light, an indicator light, a horn, a piezoelectric device, and/or the like. Additionally, the output 104 may also include a transparent display located on one or more of the windshield, rear window, side windows, and mirrors of the vehicle.

The output 104 may output a notification including one or more of an audible notification, a light notification, and a displayed notification. The notification may include information indicating that an occupant or item has left or is present in a rear region of the vehicle or in a seat or other passenger region of the vehicle. The output 104 may display a graphical indicator to draw the user's attention to an alarm or notification.

The user input 106 is configured to provide information and instructions to the device used to provide the occupant status alert 100. The user input 106 may be used to provide user input or the like to the controller 101. The user input 106 may include one or more of a touch screen, keyboard, soft keyboard, buttons, motion detector, voice input detector, microphone, camera, touch pad, mouse, touch pad, and the like. The user input 106 may be configured to receive user input to confirm or dismiss an alert or notification output by the output 104. The user input 106 may also be configured to receive user input to cycle through notifications or different notification screens.

The door state sensor 107 is configured to detect the state or position of a combination of a door, an opening, a window, a hood, and the like of the vehicle. For example, the door state sensor 107 may detect the state of one or more of an opening, a hood, a window, a crescent, a front passenger-side door, a rear passenger-side door, a passenger door, a front driver-side door, a rear hatch door, a trunk, or the like of the vehicle. The door state sensor 107 may be one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of radar sensors, microwave sensors, ultrasonic sensors, hard-wired switches, reed switches, cameras, infrared sensors, LIDAR and laser sensors. Also, the door state sensor may be one main sensor, or a sensor combination including a main sensor and a sub sensor. In one example, the primary sensor may be a hardwired door switch and the secondary or backup sensor may be a camera.

The communication device 108 may be used by the apparatus for providing the occupant status alert 100 to communicate with various types of external devices according to various communication methods. According to one example, the communication device 108 may be configured to transmit or receive door status information to or from the controller 101 of the apparatus to provide the reminder of occupant status 100. The communication device 108 may also be configured to transmit a notification of the half-open door and the position of the half-open door. The notification or alert may be sent by the communication device 108 to an output device or display, such as the output 104 or a mobile device.

The communication device 108 may include various communication modules, such as one or more of a telematics unit, a broadcast receiving module, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a GPS receiver, a wired communication module, or a wireless communication module. The broadcast receiving module may include a terrestrial broadcast receiving module including an antenna, a demodulator, an equalizer, and the like for receiving a terrestrial broadcast signal. The NFC module is a module that communicates with an external device located at a nearby distance according to an NFC method. The GPS receiver is a module that receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and detects a current position. The wired communication module may be a module that receives information through a wired network such as a local area network, a Controller Area Network (CAN), or an external network. The wireless communication module is a module that connects to and communicates with an external network by using a wireless communication protocol such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, or IEEE communication protocol. The wireless communication module may further include a mobile communication module, which may further include a mobile communication module accessing a mobile communication network and communicate according to various mobile communication standards such as 3G, 3GPP, LTE, bluetooth, EVDO, CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, or ZigBee.

The controller 101 of the apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 may be configured to: the method includes determining whether the vehicle is in a first power mode or a second power mode in response to detecting that a passenger door of the vehicle has opened, setting a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode in response to determining that the vehicle is in the first power mode, opening a setting to output an occupant reminder in response to detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode and the timer not reaching the time limit, opening a setting to output an occupant reminder in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second power mode and the passenger door of the vehicle is open, and outputting the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is opened in response to detecting a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode.

The controller 101 of the apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 may also be configured to detect that a passenger door of the vehicle has been opened based on the signal received from the at least one vehicle door sensor. The signal indicates that the passenger door has been opened.

The controller 101 of the apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 may also be configured to output an occupant alert if a setting for outputting the occupant alert is turned on by outputting the alert to a display in the mobile device or vehicle. The alert may be communicated to the mobile device via the communication device 108.

The controller 101 of the apparatus for providing the occupant status alert 100 may also be configured to detect a condition for re-outputting the alert and re-output the occupant alert if the condition for re-outputting the alert is detected. The condition for re-outputting the reminder may include at least one from the following: interruption or preemption of the output alert by a telephone call or alarm and detection of the driver's door being opened within a predetermined time after the occupant alert has been output. For example, a received call or alert may pop up on the display, obscuring the reminder, or the driver or occupant may be distracted by the task he is performing and miss the reminder for the first time. Thus, a second reminder while the driver is exiting or at the end of a phone call may help capture the attention of the driver or the attention of the occupants. According to another example, the location of the vehicle may not correspond to a location for outputting a reminder, such as a known destination, home, work place, daycare, and so forth. Thus, if the current destination does not correspond to the location for outputting the reminder, the conditions for re-outputting the reminder may be reset and output to the known destination.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for providing a reminder of an occupant status according to an example embodiment. The method of fig. 2 may be performed by a device for providing the occupant status alert 100 or may be encoded in a computer-readable medium as instructions executable by a computer to implement the method.

Referring to fig. 2, it is determined whether the occupant alerting system is activated in operation S205. The determination may be made based on information corresponding to user settings stored in memory. For example, the vehicle occupant may be prompted and asked if a reminder is needed when the vehicle occupant enters the vehicle, and the vehicle occupant may select "yes" on a displayed menu to activate the passenger reminder system or "no" to keep the passenger reminder system inactive. If the occupant alerting system is not activated (operation S205-NO), the process ends. However, if the occupant alerting system is activated (operation S205 — yes), the process proceeds to operation S210 to detect whether the passenger door of the vehicle is open or has been opened. If the passenger door of the vehicle is not opened (operation S210-NO), operation S210 is repeated until the passenger door is opened.

After it is detected that the passenger door is opened (operation S210 — yes), it is determined whether the vehicle is in the first power mode or the second power mode in operation S220. If the vehicle is in the second power mode, the method proceeds to operation S250, where a setting or flag for outputting an occupant alert is set. However, if the vehicle is in the first power mode, the method proceeds to operation S230 where a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode is started.

The timer is checked to determine whether the timer has reached a time limit in operation S235. If the timer has expired (operation S235-YES), the method returns to operation S210 to detect whether the passenger door of the vehicle has been opened. If the timer has not reached the time limit (operation S235-NO), the method proceeds to operation S240 to check whether a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode has occurred. If no transition has occurred (operation S240-NO), the method returns to operation S235 to check the timer. However, if a transition has occurred, the method proceeds to operation S250, where a setting or flag for outputting an occupant reminder is set.

After the flag is set in operation S250, it is detected whether a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode occurs in operation S260. If a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode has not occurred (S260-NO), a continuous check for the transition is performed in operation S260 until the transition occurs in operation "S260-YES". After the transition from the second power mode back to the first power mode (operation S260 — yes), if the setting or flag for outputting the occupant notification is set, the occupant status notification is output in operation S270. In operation S280, after the reminder is output, the setting or flag to output the occupant reminder is set or off.

In operation S290, a condition for re-outputting the reminder may be detected (operation S290 — yes). If a condition is detected (operation S290-YES), the occupant alert is again output in operation S295. However, if no condition is detected (operation S290 — no), it is determined whether to monitor a re-trigger condition in S298. If the monitoring needs to be continued (operation S298-YES), the evaluation of S290 is re-performed. However, if the criterion for continuing monitoring is not valid (operation S298-NO), the method ends. The condition for re-outputting the reminder may be: interruption or preemption of the outgoing alert by a telephone call; while outputting the alert, there is an active phone call; a GPS location of the vehicle representing a location different from a known or inherent location; or detecting that the driver door is opened within a predetermined time after the occupant alert has been output. The passenger door may be a rear passenger door.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for providing an occupant status alert, according to an example embodiment. The method of fig. 3 may be performed by an apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100, or may be encoded in a computer-readable medium as instructions executable by a computer to implement the method.

Referring to fig. 3, it is determined whether the occupant alerting system is activated in operation S310. The determination may be made based on information corresponding to user settings stored in memory. If the occupant alerting system is not activated (operation S310-NO), the process ends. However, if the occupant alerting system is active (operation S310 — yes), the process proceeds to operation S320 to determine whether the vehicle is in the first power mode or the second power mode. If the vehicle is in the second power mode, it is determined whether the rear passenger door or other doors have been opened or are open in operation S325. If the rear passenger door or other door has been opened or is open, the method proceeds to operation S360, where a setting or flag for outputting an occupant reminder is set. If the rear passenger or other vehicle door is not open (operation S325 — no), then in operation S345, the method continues to evaluate whether the vehicle is now in the first power mode. If the vehicle remains in the second power mode (operation S345 — no), it is detected whether the rear door is opened in operation S325 to continue execution; however, if the vehicle power mode is switched from the second power mode to the first power mode (operation S345-YES) without opening the rear door, the method ends.

If the vehicle is in the first power mode in operation S320, the method proceeds to operation S330, in which a back door state is detected. If the back door is not determined to be open (operation S330-NO), the method returns to its initial evaluation in this operation. If the back door is detected to be open (operation S330-YES), the method proceeds to operation S335 where a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode is started to count time in operation S335. The timer is checked to determine whether the timer has reached a time limit in operation S340. If the timer has expired or is not active (operation S340-YES), the method returns to operation S310 to detect whether an occupant reminder is active. If the timer has not expired (operation S340-NO), the method proceeds to operation S350 to detect whether the vehicle power mode has been switched from the first power mode to the second power mode. If the power mode has not been transitioned to the second power mode (operation S350-NO), the method returns to operation S340 to re-evaluate the timer status.

In operation S350, if a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode has occurred, the method continues to operation S360, where a setting or flag for outputting an occupant reminder is set. After the flag is set in operation S360, it is detected in operation S370 whether a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode has occurred. If the transition from the second power mode to the first power mode does not occur (S370-NO), a continuous check of the transition is performed in operation S370 until the transition occurs in operation "S370-YES". After the transition from the second power mode back to the first power mode (operation S370 — yes), if a setting or flag for outputting an occupant notification has been set, a notification of the occupant status is output in operation S380. In operation S390, the setting for outputting the occupant alert is turned off in preparation for the next activation of the process.

Fig. 4A and 4B illustrate an illustration of an apparatus and method for providing passenger reminders to a user interface display in accordance with an aspect of an exemplary embodiment. Referring to fig. 4A, the display 400 may display an occupant reminder menu 401 with graphical icons, allowing the user to turn on 402 or turn off 403 the occupant reminder system by selecting one of the

icons

402 or 403. The condition for re-triggering may cause the occupant reminder menu 401 to be redisplayed to select re-triggering of the alarm in a subsequent transition from the second power mode to the first power mode.

Referring to fig. 4B, after the method or apparatus for providing occupant reminders detects the presence of an occupant, the occupant reminder or alert 400 may be displayed on the display 400. The user may then confirm the reminder by selecting a confirm icon 405 on the display.

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of an operating environment that includes a mobile vehicle communication system 510 and that is implemented to implement the apparatus and methods for providing occupant status alerts disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 5, an operating environment including a mobile vehicle communication system 510 is shown that may be used to implement the apparatus and method for providing occupant reminders. Communication system 510 may include one or more of a vehicle 512, one or more wireless carrier systems 514, a land communication network 516, a computer 518, and a call center 520. It should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method for providing occupant reminders may be used with any number of different systems and is not particularly limited to the operating environment shown herein. The following paragraphs simply provide a brief overview of one such communication system 510; however, other systems not shown herein may also use the disclosed apparatus and method for providing occupant reminders.

The vehicle 512 is depicted in the illustrated embodiment as a passenger vehicle, but it should be understood that any other vehicle including motorcycles, trucks, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Recreational Vehicles (RVs), boats, airplanes, etc. may be used. One or more elements of the apparatus for providing the occupant status alert 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be incorporated into the vehicle 512.

One of the networking devices that may communicate with the communication device 108 is a wireless device, such as a smartphone 557. The smartphone 557 may include computer processing capabilities, a transceiver capable of communicating using the short-range wireless protocol 558, and a visual smartphone display 559. In some implementations, the smartphone display 559 also includes a touch screen graphical user interface and/or a GPS module that is capable of receiving GPS satellite signals and generating GPS coordinates based on those signals. One or more elements of the apparatus for providing an occupant status alert 100 shown in fig. 1 may be incorporated into a smart phone 557.

The GPS module of the communication device 108 may receive radio signals from a constellation 560 of GPS satellites, identifying the location of the vehicle based on onboard map details or by points of interest or landmarks. From these signals, the communication device 108 can determine the location of the vehicle for providing navigation and other location-related services to the vehicle driver. The navigation information may be presented by the output 104 (or other display within the vehicle) or may be presented verbally, such as is done when providing turn-by-turn navigation. The navigation service may be provided using a dedicated in-vehicle navigation module or may be accomplished partially or entirely via the communication device 108. To provide navigation maps, map annotations (points of interest, restaurants, etc.), route calculations, etc. to the vehicle, the location information may be transmitted to a remote location. The location information may be provided to a call center 520 or other remote computer system, such as computer 518, for other purposes, such as fleet management. In addition, new or updated map data may be downloaded by the communication device from the call center 520. In one example, the device may use the location information to provide the occupant status alert 100 shown in FIG. 1 to determine whether the alert should be output or re-output.

The vehicle 512 may include a Vehicle System Module (VSM) in the form of electronic hardware components that are located throughout the vehicle and that typically receive input from one or more sensors and use the sensed input to perform diagnostic, monitoring, control, reporting, and/or other functions. Each VSM may be connected to other VSMs and to controller 101 via a communication bus and may be programmed to run vehicle system and subsystem diagnostic tests. The controller 101 may be configured to send and receive information from the VSM and control the VSM to perform vehicle functions. As an example, one VSM may be an Engine Control Module (ECM) that controls various aspects of engine operation (e.g., fuel ignition and ignition timing), another VSM may be an external sensor module configured to receive information from external sensors (e.g., cameras, radar, lidar, and lasers), another VSM may be a powertrain control module that regulates operation of one or more components of the vehicle powertrain, and another VSM may be a body control module that controls various electrical components throughout the vehicle, such as the vehicle's power door locks and headlights. According to an exemplary embodiment, the engine control module is equipped with an on-board diagnostics (OBD) feature that provides countless real-time data, such as data received from various sensors, including vehicle emissions sensors, and also provides a series of standardized fault diagnostic codes (DTCs) that enable a technician to quickly identify and correct faults within the vehicle. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the VSMs described above are merely examples of some of the modules that may be used in the vehicle 512, as many other modules may also be used.

The wireless carrier system 514 may be a cellular telephone system that includes a plurality of signal towers 570 (only one shown), one or more Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) 572, and any other network components necessary to connect the wireless carrier system 514 with the land network 516. Each tower 570 includes transmit and receive antennas and a base station, with base stations from different towers connected to the MSC 572 either directly or through intervening devices such as a base station controller. The cellular system 514 may implement any suitable communication technology including, for example, analog technologies such as AMPS or more recent digital technologies such as CDMA (e.g., CDMA2000 or 1xEV-DO) or GSM/GPRS (e.g., 4G LTE). As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, different signal tower/base station/MSC arrangements are possible and may be used with the wireless system 514. For example, the base stations and signal towers may be co-located or remote from each other, each base station may be responsible for a single signal tower or a single base station may serve different signal towers, different base stations may be coupled to a single MSC, to name a few possible arrangements.

In addition to using wireless carrier system 514, a different wireless carrier system in the form of satellite communication may be used to provide one-way or two-way communication with the vehicle. This may be accomplished using one or more communication satellites 562 and an uplink transmitting station 564. The one-way communication may be, for example, a satellite radio service, wherein program content (news, music, etc.) is received by the transmitting station 564, uploaded in packages, and then transmitted to the satellite 562, which broadcasts the program to the users. The two-way communication may be, for example, a satellite telephone service that uses satellite 562 to relay telephone communications between vehicle 512 and station 564. If the satellite phone is used, the satellite phone may be employed in addition to or in place of wireless carrier system 514.

Land network 516 may be a land-based telecommunications network that connects to one or more landline telephones and connects wireless carrier system 514 to call center 520. For example, land network 516 may include a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for providing, for example, hardwired telephony, packet-switched data communications, and the Internet infrastructure. One or more segments of land network 516 may be implemented with a standard wired network, a fiber optic or other optical network, a wired network, power lines, other wireless networks such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), or networks providing Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), or any combination thereof. According to an example, call center 520 may not be connected via land network 516, but may include wireless telephony equipment such that it may communicate directly with a wireless network (e.g., wireless carrier system 514).

Computer 518 may be one of many computers accessible over a private or public network such as the internet. Each such computer 518 may be used for one or more purposes, such as a network server that the vehicle may access through the communication device 108 and the wireless carrier 514. Other such accessible computers 518 may be, for example: a service center computer, wherein diagnostic information and other vehicle data can be uploaded from the vehicle via the communication device 108; a client computer used by the owner or other user for the purpose of accessing or receiving vehicle data or setting or configuring user preferences or controlling vehicle functions; or a third party repository, whether by communicating with the vehicle 512 or the call center 520, or both, to provide vehicle data or other information to or from the third party repository. The computer 518 may also be used to provide internet connectivity, such as DNS services, or as a network address server that uses DHCP or other suitable protocol to assign an IP address to the vehicle 512.

The call center 520 is intended to provide many different system back-end functions for vehicle electronics, and according to the exemplary embodiment shown herein, generally includes one or more switches 580, servers 582, databases 584, live advisors 586, and automated Voice Response Systems (VRS) 588. These various call center components may be coupled to each other via a wired or wireless local area network 590. The switch 580, which may be a private branch exchange (PBX) switch, routes incoming signals so that voice transmissions are sent to the live advisor 586, typically over a regular telephone, or to the automated voice response system 588 using VoIP. The live advisor phone may also use VoIP as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5. VoIP and other data communications via switch 580 are accomplished via a modem (not shown) connected between switch 580 and network 590. The data transmission is passed via a modem to the server 582 and/or database 584. Database 584 may store account information such as subscriber authentication information, vehicle identifiers, profile records, behavioral patterns, and other relevant subscriber information. Data transmission may also be via wireless systems such as 802.11x, GPRS, etc. While the illustrated embodiment has been described as being used in conjunction with a manned call center 520 using live advisor 586, it should be understood that the call center may instead use VRS 588 as an automated advisor, or a combination of VRS 588 and live advisor 586 may be used.

The processes, methods or algorithms disclosed herein may be delivered to or implemented by a processing device, a controller, or a computer that may include any existing programmable electronic device or special purpose electronic control device. Similarly, the processes, methods or algorithms may be stored as data and instructions in a variety of forms executable by a controller or computer, including but not limited to: information permanently stored on non-writable storage media (such as ROM devices) and alterably stored on writable storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tape, CDs, RAM devices, and other magnetic and optical media. A process, method, or algorithm may also be implemented in a software executable object. Alternatively, the processes, methods, or algorithms may be implemented in whole or in part using suitable hardware components such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), state machines, controllers or other hardware components or devices, or a combination of hardware, software, and firmware components.

One or more exemplary embodiments are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments described above should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Also, the exemplary embodiments may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing occupant status alerts, the apparatus comprising:

at least one memory including computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to read and execute the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions causing the at least one processor to:

determining whether the vehicle is in a first power mode or a second power mode in response to detecting that a passenger door of the vehicle has been opened;

setting a timer corresponding to a time limit for detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode in response to determining that the vehicle is in the first power mode;

in response to detecting a transition from the first power mode to the second power mode and the timer not expiring, turning on a setting to output an occupant reminder;

opening the setting to output the occupant reminder in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second power mode and that the passenger door of the vehicle is open; and

in response to detecting a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode, outputting the occupant reminder if the setting for outputting the occupant reminder is on,

detecting a condition for re-outputting the reminder; and is

Re-outputting the occupant reminder if the condition to re-output the reminder is detected,

wherein the condition for re-outputting the reminder comprises at least one from the following: interruption or preemption of the occupant reminder by a telephone call or an alarm, the telephone call being activated when the reminder is output, the location of the vehicle not corresponding to the location for outputting the reminder, detecting that the driver's door is open within a predetermined time after the output of the occupant reminder has elapsed, and receiving a command from the vehicle operator to re-trigger in a subsequent transition from the second power mode to the first power mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder and turn off the setting to output the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is on.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder for a predetermined length of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to determine whether the setting providing the occupant status alert is active.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first power mode is at least one of a vehicle off state and a vehicle low power state; and is

Wherein the second power mode is at least one of a vehicle power-on state or a state in which a propulsion system of the vehicle is active.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one door sensor;

wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to detect that a passenger door of the vehicle has been opened based on a signal received from the at least one vehicle door sensor indicating that the passenger door has been opened.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting of the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder to a mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to output the occupant reminder if the setting of the occupant reminder is turned on by outputting the reminder to a display in a vehicle.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for providing occupant status alerts, the method comprising:

determining whether the first power mode or the second power mode is active;

in response to determining that the first power mode is active, performing:

if all the rear doors are closed, the timer starts to time;

determining whether the timer has expired; and

in response to detecting a transition to the second power mode and the timer not expiring, turning on a setting to output an occupant reminder; and

in response to determining that the second power mode is active, performing:

opening to output the setting of the occupant reminder in response to detecting that the rear door is opened; and

outputting the occupant reminder if the setting to output the occupant reminder is turned on and a transition from the second power mode to the first power mode is detected,

detecting a condition for re-outputting the reminder; and is